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'Turbine,' Diamond Interchange Designs Debut in N.C.

Posted May 18, 2012 9:03 AM

From Top Stories from ENR.com:

A trio of rare designs is expected to save millions in North Carolina and in at least one instance prove that bigger isn't necessarily more expensive.

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Guru
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#1

Re: 'Turbine,' Diamond Interchange Designs Debut in N.C.

05/18/2012 11:33 AM

Too complex. This is what we do up here.

Drivers can expect this configuration anywhere in our country. Plus, those little loops are super fun on a motorcycle.

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#2
In reply to #1

Re: 'Turbine,' Diamond Interchange Designs Debut in N.C.

05/18/2012 11:14 PM

Yep, it takes up more land area to build (but offers more green-space in the in-fields), but you get where you need to go by making only right-hand turns, without stopping, except in the heaviest rush-hour traffic, and you don't usually promote too much pollution in idling traffic, and in earthquakes only the cars caught under the overpass are can get squashed (although other vehicles can still get tail-ended just like on any straight section of road by an "unguided" (cell phone), etc., ...

All in all, it's a much more preferrable alternative, all things considered...

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#4
In reply to #1

Re: 'Turbine,' Diamond Interchange Designs Debut in N.C.

05/19/2012 10:10 AM

And it will save 400 square feet of land for an endangered flower. My estimate of the project footprint is 25 million square feet.

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#6
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Re: 'Turbine,' Diamond Interchange Designs Debut in N.C.

05/21/2012 10:39 AM

The trouble with Clover-leaf interchanges is that oncoming and exiting cars have to share the same merging lane and must cross each other in a short span at high speed. This creates a flow problem because exiting cars need to slow down to prevent entering the exit ramp at high speed while entering cars need to speed up in order to match the rate of traffic already on the roadway. The problem is further exacerbated by the fact that visibility over the left shoulder of oncoming drivers is limited due to the curve of the clover's onramp.

This turbine design seems to eliminate all of that, and it could probably be built in a slightly smaller amount of space then the clover interchange.

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#3

Re: 'Turbine,' Diamond Interchange Designs Debut in N.C.

05/18/2012 11:48 PM

What clockwise left turns????

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#5

Re: 'Turbine,' Diamond Interchange Designs Debut in N.C.

05/19/2012 12:11 PM

It would never work around here near Minot ND. It would have to have at least 6 sets of unsynchronized stop lights put on it first.

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